Celebrating 45 years after New York debut, violinist Lee Sung-ju to perform Mozart

Published : Sept 14, 2022 - 13:58 Updated : Sept 14, 2022 - 13:59

Violinist Lee Sung-ju is set to celebrate the 45th anniversary of her New York debut with an all-Mozart concert.

Lee made her New York debut in 1977 at Kaufmann Concert Hall as a winner of "Young Concert Artists." She went to the US at the age of 13 to study at the Julliard School, where she studied under Ivan Galamian and Dorothy Delay.

Violinist Lee Sung-ju (Stageone)

For the upcoming concert, titled “Mozart Revolution,” Lee will go on stage with violist Kim Sang-jin and Camerata Antiqua Seoul, a Baroque instrumental ensemble.

The program will feature Mozart Violin Concerto No.1 in B-flat Major, K. 207, Mozart Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K. 216 and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364.

The concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Lotte Concert Hall in southeastern Seoul. Ticket prices range from 30,000 won to 100,000 won.

Lee has built an impressive career since her New York debut. She won the first prize at the Wieniawski Kosciuszko Violin Competition, an award at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, a special citation as a finalist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition and a laureate diploma from the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

She returned to Korea in 1994 to teach at the Korean National University of Arts. After teaching there until 2020, she now serves as the president of the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts.

Joy of Strings (Stageone)

Lee is also the music director of the string ensemble Joy of Strings, which she founded in 1997. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation, the string chamber with pianist Aviram Reichert will give a concert on Sept. 24 at Seoul Arts Center with a program that includes Arnold Schoenberg’s "Transfigured Night," Op. 4, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F major and Bernstein’s "West Side Story Suite." (gypark@heraldcorp.com)